The invention relates, in general, to an apparatus and method for forming an occlusion in a mammalian body, and, in particular to an apparatus and method for internally inducing a magnetic field in an aneurysm to embolize the aneurysm with a magnetically-controllable substance.
Like all parts of the body, the brain is composed of living cells that require a blood supply to provide oxygen and nutrients. A hemorrhage in a blood vessel in the brain or in the space closely surrounding the brain is a common cause of strokes. Hemorrhage refers to bleeding into the brain, usually because of a problem with a blood vessel. The problem is often an aneurysm.
An aneurysm is an abnormal bulging outward of blood vessel wall. The wall may smoothly bulge outward in all directions (a fusiform aneurysm) or it may form a sack arising from one wall (a saccular aneurysm). If the aneurysm ruptures, a hemorrhage occurs. This can compress and irritate the surrounding blood vessels, resulting in a reduced supply of oxygen and nutrients to the cells, possibly causing a stroke.
Aneurysms can be treated from outside the blood vessel using surgical techniques or from inside the blood vessel using endovascular techniques. Endovascular treatment of an aneurysm is performed using a catheter. X-ray, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) equipment, or other visualization equipment may be used to view the progress during the procedure.
A magnetically directable embolic such as an acrylic, iron-containing glue as to fill or obliterate aneurysms. The embolic is delivered by means of a catheter and is directed into an aneurysm with an external magnetic field generated by a permanent magnet or electromagnetic device used for Stereotaxis procedures such as a prototype device made by Stereotaxis Inc. of St. Louis, Mo. An example of such a device is shown and described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,014,580 to Blume, et al. Problems with this approach include that the Stereotaxis machine is cumbersome and expensive and, in some cases, the external magnetic field produced by the Stereotaxis machine is not strong enough to control delivery of the iron-containing, magnetically-directable glue into the aneurysm.
An aspect of the present invention involves a magnetic embolization apparatus for embolizing an aneurysm of a blood vessel. The apparatus includes a coiled element adapted for insertion within an aneurysm of a blood vessel, the coiled element shaped to be retained within the aneurysm, and one or more permanent magnetic segments carried by the coiled element to internally induce a magnetic field from within the aneurysm to control a magnetic field controllable embolic to embolize the aneurysm.
An additional aspect of the present invention involves a magnetic embolization apparatus for embolizing an aneurysm of a blood vessel. The apparatus includes a coiled element adapted for insertion within an aneurysm of a blood vessel, the coiled element shaped to be retained within the aneurysm, and one or more permanent magnetic segments carried by the coiled element to internally induce a magnetic field from within the aneurysm to control a magnetic field controllable embolic to embolize the aneurysm.
A further aspect of the present invention involves a magnetic embolization apparatus for embolizing an aneurysm of a blood vessel. The apparatus includes an element adapted for insertion within an aneurysm of a blood vessel, the element shaped to be retained within a dome of the aneurysm, and one or more permanent magnetic segments carried by the element in a location so as to be located in a top, central part of the dome of the aneurysm and adapted to internally induce a magnetic field from within the aneurysm to control a magnetic field controllable embolic to embolize the aneurysm.
Another aspect of the invention involves a magnetic embolization apparatus for embolizing an aneurysm of a blood vessel. The apparatus includes an element adapted for insertion within an aneurysm of a blood vessel, an electromagnet carried by the element to internally induce a magnetic field from within the aneurysm to control a magnetic field controllable embolic to embolize the aneurysm, and a guide wire having a lead wire for supplying electrical current to the electromagnet and a return wire for returning electrical current from the electromagnet.
An additional aspect of the invention involves a magnetic embolization apparatus for embolizing an aneurysm of a blood vessel. The apparatus includes a catheter including a distal portion adapted for insertion within an aneurysm of a blood vessel, and an electromagnet carried by the distal portion of the catheter to internally induce a magnetic field from within the aneurysm to control a magnetic field controllable embolic to embolize the aneurysm.
A further aspect of the invention involves a magnetic embolization apparatus for embolizing an aneurysm of a blood vessel. The apparatus includes a catheter having a distal portion adapted for insertion within an aneurysm of a blood vessel, and a permanent magnet carried by the distal portion of the catheter to internally induce a magnetic field from within the aneurysm to control a magnetic field controllable embolic to embolize the aneurysm.
Another aspect of the invention involves a magnetic embolization apparatus for embolizing an aneurysm of a blood vessel. The apparatus includes a guide wire including a distal end, a catheter including a distal portion adapted for insertion within an aneurysm of a blood vessel and an elongated lumen slidably receiving the guide wire and adapted to deliver a magnetic field controllable embolic to the aneurysm, an element connected to the distal end of the guide wire, the element adapted for insertion within the aneurysm, and a magnet carried by the element to internally induce a magnetic field from within the aneurysm to control the magnetic field controllable embolic to embolize the aneurysm.
A further aspect of the present invention involves a magnetic embolization apparatus for embolizing an aneurysm of a blood vessel. The apparatus includes a guide wire having a distal end, a catheter including a distal portion adapted for insertion within an aneurysm of a blood vessel and including first and second lumens, the first lumen slidably receiving the guide wire and the second lumen adapted to deliver the magnetic field controllable embolic to the aneurysm, an element connected to the distal end of the guide wire, the element adapted for insertion within the aneurysm, and a magnet carried by the element to internally induce a magnetic field from within the aneurysm to control the magnetic field controllable embolic to embolize the aneurysm.
An additional aspect of the present invention involves a method of embolizing an aneurysm of a blood vessel. The method includes delivering a magnetic embolization apparatus into an aneurysm with a lumen of a catheter, delivering a magnetic-field controllable embolic within the aneurysm with the same lumen of the catheter, and internally inducing a magnetic field with the magnetic embolization apparatus from within the aneurysm to control the magnetic-field controllable embolic to embolize the aneurysm.
Another aspect of the present invention involves a method of embolizing an aneurysm of a blood vessel. The method includes delivering a magnetic embolization apparatus into an aneurysm with a first lumen of a catheter, delivering a magnetic-field controllable embolic within the aneurysm with a second, different lumen of the same catheter, and internally inducing a magnetic field with the magnetic embolization apparatus from within the aneurysm to control the magnetic-field controllable embolic to embolize the aneurysm.
A still further aspect of the present invention involves a method of embolizing an aneurysm of a blood vessel. The method includes delivering a magnetic embolization apparatus into an aneurysm with a first catheter, delivering a magnetic-field controllable embolic within the aneurysm with a second, different catheter, and internally inducing a magnetic field with the magnetic embolization apparatus from within the aneurysm to control the magnetic-field controllable embolic to embolize the aneurysm.
Other features and advantages of the invention will be evident from reading the following detailed description, which is intended to illustrate, but not limit, the invention.